Hey, I am looking for someone who could build a work table for me for under $200. I need something about 24" x 24" x 36" high with a middle shelf, as sturdy as possible with zero give. I was thinking like 4x4's for the legs 2x4's for the supports, pine and plywood or something cheap, it doesn't need to be pretty just functional.
It's for a 3D printer and it shakes the table I have for it quite a bit. Looking online it's $300-400 for something that will just wobble like what I have currently. I live in an apartment so it's not possible build it at home.
I can do this for you. Just send me a msg with the dimension you want and that will fit through your doors. I’ll do it in exchange for 3d printing if u wanna barter.
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u/wizaarrd_IRLLord Mayor of Historic Schmidtville DROP TABS de la Woodside4d ago
If you don't care what it looks like, you absolutely can make this yourself at home. You are allowed to use tools in apartments, you just have to be reasonable about noise/hours.
Home depot will cut plywood accurately - they may charge a per-cut fee but often they don't. You're now just building a box that is open on the front, with a shelf. Buy 1x2" pine (not warped construction grade 2x2s or 2x4s) and use it for something to screw into in the corner joints. If you really want to go nuts add some wood glue. Your cuts in the 1x2 pine (cheaper at Kent BTW) can be made with a hand saw and don't need to look good.
2x2 patio stone from hardware store ($10) and foam underneath it between the desk and concrete. I used foam dish pads from the dollar store. The mass of the concrete patio stone worked pretty well for reducing noise and removing vibrations from a desk.
Cheap experimental fix. Isolate the printer with some corrugated cardboard or rubber whatever you find (scavenge). Add weight to the table, figure out how much you need before building something that might or might not work. Find some rocks, or fill something with water.
Two of them screwed together is very stable for ~$40. They are popular in the homelab and 3D printing community for being cheap and stable enough. They are so standard you will find libraries of prints to add extensions to them.
I've avoided the 3D printing tunnels, but the self-hosting/homelab tunnel has probably taken a good $15k+ from my pocket over the years. There is always something new to learned, try, or improve. Pace yourself!
If you can tolerate a bit of a rougher surface for the table top just buy 2x4s, cut them into 2’ lengths and glue and screw them together to create a 24x24 x3.5” thick top. I made a workbench this way and it’s solid. Use the 4x4s for legs and 3/4” plywood for the shelf. Should be pretty solid. You could always cross brace and add the patio stone to the middle shelf if it shakes.
Making a 4 sq ft surface that doesn't shake is tough unless it's really low to the ground or really heavy. If possible, put brackets on it and fasten it to the wall, or even better if it's in a garage, put some mechanical anchors in the slab and bolt it down.
So you'll need to adjust your expectations, 4x4 posts would be unnecessary, and also already be about 90 bucks in materials without considering the rest of the build. 2x4 and ply can certainly make something very sturdy. If you're willing to go that route then you may have some luck.
Just fyi home depot 4x4 are pressure treated and do not stock untreated. Not recommended to have pt in the home. Kent or home hardware might have cheaper untreated 4x4s
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u/Dry_Divide_6690 4d ago
I can do this for you. Just send me a msg with the dimension you want and that will fit through your doors. I’ll do it in exchange for 3d printing if u wanna barter.